Sennheiser IE 800 IEM Review

If you’re the kind of person who’s all about their music, either personally or professionally, you demand the best kind of earbuds. You not only want the music to sound clear, but you want it to sound studio-quality everywhere you go; if there’s any distortion, you want to know it’s on the recorder’s end, not yours.

For the longest time, quality like that could only happen inside a studio with giant earmuffs that, while delivering incredible sound quality, were neither comfortable nor portable.

Fortunately, the German audio manufacturer Sennheiser has pushed the boundaries of what is and isn’t possible in a headphone set with their flagship high-end in-ear monitor, the IE 800. Built on a foundation of solid research and loaded up with cutting-edge tech, these IEMs prove that, in the world of high-end audio, size doesn’t matter anymore.

Sennheiser has been around since the 1950‘s, and it’s proven itself time and time again on all manner of electronics. Its first major claim to fame, the open headphones, kicked off the trend of more natural, bass-boosted sound and really established Sennheiser as an audio powerhouse. Sennheiser in ear monitors they run the gamut from small models designed for amateur musicians and the average music lover who wants an above-average set of earbuds for working out, to the incredibly high-end pieces for professional audio techs.

In addition to their regular in-ear setups, Sennheiser also does a respectable set of IEM receivers, transmitters, and mixers, all designed to give every musician the benefits of IEM technology. Whether they’re on stage or in the studio, Sennheiser has a set of IEMs designed to pack big power into a small, inconspicuous package. Our review of our favorite Sennheiser’s can be found here and that includes not only the IE 800 model, but also the more affordable IE-80 and IE-4.

The Sennheiser in ear IE800s, however, are designed to be hands-down the absolute best IEMs money can buy. Pulling on every ounce of their knowledge, Sennheiser has created an IEM so revolutionary that it challenges, then silences, every notion you’ve ever had about high-end in-ear monitor technology.

The Sennheiser IEMs

Anyone who’s ever used a Sennheiser product knows they don’t do anything halfway, and the IE 800s are no exception; however, at first glance, it might seem like a few things are missing. A big surprise to IEM fans, the Sennheiser IE 800 doesn’t use three or four armature drivers like most high-end IEMs, but rather a single dynamic driver. That might make you think your sound quality will take a hit, but like everything else on this IEM, Sennheiser has proven that size doesn’t matter.

While it may just be one dynamic driver, it’s going to be one of the best drivers you’ll ever use. What you’re getting on the IE800 is Sennheiser’s unique linear phase driver, which cuts down on a lot of your phase shift by adjusting all of your music bands relative to one another and giving you incredibly clean mixes.

Combine that with an extra wide band (XWB) sound spectrum (up to 41,000 hz) run through a dual-chamber absorber for added clarity, and you’ll be able to hear parts of your audio that you wouldn’t have ever been able to hear before; suddenly, things like the size of the recording studio and exact placement of microphones will show up in your ears clear as day.

In addition, you’re getting an incredibly rich bass, due to Sennheiser’s open bass port design that’s open enough to let in air but closed enough to let in music. While it may fly in the face of everything you thought you knew about high-end IEMs, Sennheiser’s brilliant design will change the way you hear your favorite music after just one listen.

Of course, none of that matters if you lose audio quality in transit; fortunately, Sennheiser’s thought out that part too. Like most of their other high-end pieces, you’re getting an oxygen free copper cable; as a single super-conductive, electro refined metal instead of a steel alloy, absolutely no electricity gets stopped or distorted from headphone jack to IEM.

What about an incomplete seal around the ears? With five different sizes of biocompatible silicone earbud, you’ve got options to get the best possible fit. To top it all off, your sensitive electronics are going to be protected with a scratch-resistant ceramic that’s both durable and ergonomic, so your IEMs will stay tough and comfortable for as long as you need them.

Conclusion? Great for Editors

Literally every part of the Sennheiser IE800 is designed to give you the best possible sound you could ever hear. We firmly believe that and is why we feel this model is a top pick. However, you will pay for it; at around $800, these are expensive pieces for the true music aficionado. Professional musicians and professional editors, though, will find these pieces an absolute must-have; even without burn-in time, these Sennheiser IEMs combine unrivaled clarity with German engineering, giving you the absolute best in ear headphones you’ve ever used.